Local police are searching for a former student believed to have sent “intimidating and threatening emails” to Montgomery College and Montgomery police, according to the authorities. The emailed threats led the community college to declare a “code red” and close its campuses Friday afternoon.
In a statement Friday night, the Takoma Park police department said it had an “active arrest warrant” for Yonas Alemseged Harris, 25, charging him with a “threat of mass violence” for the emailed threats in which he allegedly indicated he planned to ‘shoot up’ the community college.
Montgomery College issued a code red and closed all of its campuses Friday afternoon after receiving the emailed threats, the college said in an earlier statement. All remote instruction and operations also were suspended.
At 1:30 p.m. the college declared a code red, according to a social media post from the college. The college has campuses in Takoma Park/Silver Spring, Rockville and Germantown and also operates several education centers.
“We recognize that this situation may cause concern, and we want to assure the public that every precaution is being taken to maintain the safety of our learning environment,” Marcus Rosano, the college’s director of media and public relations, said in the Friday afternoon statement.
The statement did not say whether a specific campus was targeted.
The college reopened all of its locations and resumed normal operations on Saturday, according to a social media post.
Police warned the public not to approach Harris, who is described as a Black male, 5 feet 2 inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair and weighing 125 pounds. Instead, anyone who sees the suspect should contact Takoma Park police at 301-270-1100, the statement said.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips to the Takoma Park police department’s anonymous tip line by texting 847411.
